Will Colin Kaepernick be a Top 3 NFL QB in 2015?

There is no doubt that 2014 was not a good year for Colin Kaepernick or the San Francisco 49ers. The results were nothing short of disappointing as San Francisco posted an 8-8 record after going 12-4 and reaching the NFC Championship game. Many fans and experts felt as if Colin took a step backward last year and the 49ers suffered because of it — Kaepernick appeared to be an anchor rather than a rocket.

But sometimes we forget that perception is not necessarily reality.

While Kaepernick did post the lowest QBR of his young career, he also set new highs for completions, attempts, passing yards and rushing yards. So the sky is not falling. Many quarterbacks have struggled in their 2nd full year as a starter and gone on to be NFL greats. In a league where running quarterbacks are being contained by more athletic defenses, Kaepernick ran for more yards; Where running quarterbacks like RG3 are being exposed, Kaepernick is throwing even more and with more success.

There is certainly room for the lanky quarterback to improve – and he knows that. So he has spent the offseason working with NFL great Kurt Warner on all aspects of his game. Consider that when Kaepernick came into the league, he did not have a mentor to look up to and learn from. He spent just 1 year on the bench and took the reins of the 49er offense from Alex Smith just 3 games into 2013. Learning from a quarterback like Warner will do wonders for Kaepernick as he masters the details that go into becoming a great passer.

The learning curve is steep for quarterbacks that are thrown into the fire, some melt while others harden into steel. Kaepernick has not melted. The 2015 season will put Kaepernick’s growing confidence on display as he makes leaps and bounds toward being one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.